Game-board.



P. M. BURROWES.

GAME 13011111).

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

1,005,151. Patented 001. 10,1911.

C I 81mm.-

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WI Her/"c1461 COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. C.'

UNITED STATES? PATENT OFFICE FRANK M. BURROWES, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. T. BURROWES COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

GAME-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 24, 1910.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 578,687.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. BURROWES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an improvement in game boards and game tables and more particularly to the type of game boards and tables shown in Patents Nos. 674,729, May 21, 1901, and 739,284, September 22, 1903, both granted to Edward T. Burrowes.

The object of the present invention is a provision of an improved type of game board or table of this character in which the bed is so constructed and supported that it will tend to retain its proper level and smoothness under all conditions, and at the same time to provide means whereby the bed may be readily trued should it become necessary to do so.

A further object of the present invention is to reinforce the metal girders which extend across the bed of the table, thus enabling the use of girders of comparatively small dimensions with tables of the largest sizes.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter when read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein a convenient embodiment of the invention is shown and wherein like numerals of reference refer to similar parts in the several views.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a game board constructed in accordance with the present invention, parts being broken away, Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the board through one of the girder bars, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the girder bars and the supporting brackets therefor, and Fig. 4: is a cross section on line 41 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the frame of the board or table is made up of the side rails A and the end rails B, which may be connected at their corners in any suitable manner. The side and end rails are similar in cross section, the lower portion of all of said rails being undercut on their inner surfaces, as at a.

C designates the bed, which is preferably made of wood, either in built up sections or in a single piece, as desired. The transverse width of the bed is less than the distance between the side rails of the frame, while the length of the bed is less than the distance between the end rails, thus permitting a slight movement of the bed in transverse and longitudinal directions without coming into contact with the rails. This construction enables the bed to swell or expand without resistance on the part of the side rails and thus avoids any tendency to distort not only the rails but also the bed.

The bed is secured to and supported by a plurality of metallic girder bars D, the ends of which project beyond the sides of the bed and are secured by suitable brackets, to be hereinafter more particularly described, to the under cut portions a of the side rails A of the frame. The girder bars D are preferably formed of sheet steel and are of T-shape in cross section, the lower edge of the web of the girder terminating in a hollow bead. The bed is loosely secured to the girder bars so that it is free to move to a slight extent laterally but cannot move away from or toward the bar, this construction permitting the slight movement of the bed due to any swelling or contraction thereof and at the same time preserving the levelness of the surface thereof. In the present embodiment of the invention this result is attained by providing the under side of the bed C with a plurality of grooves c therein, which are T-shaped in cross section and are of a size to snugly receive the T-shaped heads of the girder bars D. Obviously, however, the bed might be attaohed to the girder bars in various other ways to accomplish this result, and if desired clips of the type shown in Patent No. 739,284, heretofore referred to may be used for this purpose.

The projecting ends of the girder bars D are provided with cross grooves d in the hollow bead thereof and with transverse grooves in the flanges thereof, which extend inwardly from the edges of said flanges to the web of the girder.

E designates brackets which are used to secure the ends of the girder bars to the side rails A of the frame. The brackets E are each formed from a single piece of metal the, upper end of which is provided with an aperture permitting the attachment of the passed to prevent the bracket from tilting when it is once secured in position; The bracket is secured to the top of theunder -cut portion a of the side rail and the lower portion of the bracket is offset so as to lie in front of the inner face of the undercut portion of the side rail. The offset portion of the bracket is provided with a recess 0 in one edge thereof and the projection 6 formed at the lower end of the bracket by such recess is adapted to enter the groove (Z formed in the bead of the girder bar D when the bracket and bar are assembled. The body of the bracket when it is secured to the girder bar is adapted to enter the groove (l formed in one of the flanges thereof, thus bringing the portion of the bracket forming the rear wall of the recess 6 into contact with one side of the web. of the girder bar, and the portion of the body of the bracket which overlies the recess 6 therein is provided with a short downwardly extending projection 6 which, when the bracket is secured to the girder bar projects downwardly through the groove d in the other flange of the girder bar and lies along side of the other face of the web of said bar. The upper edge of the projection e at the lower end of the bracket E is slightly beveledto readily permit the bracket to be the bed and to obviate this difliculty I have provided means for reinforcing or stiffening the girders and means for truing up the bed should the same sag or bulge. In the present embodiment of the invention, the means provided for this purpose comprises a rod F of metal which fits snugly within the hollow bead at the lower edge of the girder and extends substantially the full length thereof. One end of the rod F is anchored to the girder bar D by means of a cross pin f which projects through the end of the rod and engages a slot f formed in the hollow head of the girder bar adjacent one end thereof. The opposite end of the rod F is threaded and engages a nut F which is positioned in a slot f formed in the hollow bead of the girder bar adjacent the other end thereof, said slot being of a width to just receive the nut so that the same is held against longitudinal movement. With this construction when the table bed is in normal position the nut F is turned just a sufiiciei'lt amount to place the rod under tension to a slight extent which causes the same to act as a reinforce to stiffen the girder bar. If now for any reason the bed of the table should sag a slight extent the same can be restored to its normal position by actuating the nut F to shorten the length of the rod which lies between said nut and its anchorage adjacent the other end of the bar. If on the other hand the bed should for any reason assume a slight bulge, it can be restored to its normal position by actuating the nut F to lengthen the portion of the rod which lies between the nut F and the anchorage of the other end of the rod. The actuation of the nut in this manner serves to flex the girder bar a sufiicient amount to obtain the desired result.

The space between the edges of the bed be secured in position in any well known manner.

While a convenient embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that many changes may be made to the particular form and construction therein shown without in the least departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In a game table, a bed, a bar connected to said bed and extending transversely thereof, and means within the bar and extending lengthwise thereof for flexing the bar to true the bed.

2. In a game board, a bed, a bar connected to said bed and extending transversely thereof, and means associated with said bar and extending lengthwise thereof for flexing said bar in either direction to true the bed.

3. In a game table, a bed, a bar interlocked therewith and extending transversely thereof, and means associated with said bar and extending longitudinally thereof for flexing the same to true the bed.

4. In a game board, a bed, a bar underlying said bed and extending, transversely thereof, said bar being loosely interlocked with the bed to permit lateral expansion thereof, and means associated with said bar and extending lengthwise thereof for flexing the bar to true the bed.

'5. In a game table, a bed, a bar underlying said bed and extending transversely thereof, said bar being loosely interlocked with the bed to permit lateral expansion thereof, and means positioned within the bar and extending lengthwise thereof for flexing the same to'true the bed.

6. In a game board, a bed, a bar underlying said bed and connected thereto, a rod associated with said bar and having its ends anchored to the bar adjacent the ends thereof, the length of said rod between its points of anchorage being adjustable.

7. In a game board, a bed, a girder bar underlying said bed and extending transversely thereof, a rod extending longitudinally of said girder bar and having one of its ends rigidly connected to the girder bar adjacent one end thereof, and means for adjustably connecting the other end of said rod to said girder bar adjacent its other end.

8. In a game board, a bed, a metallic girder bar underlying said bed and extending transversely thereof, said bar being provided along its lower edge with a tubular portion, a metallic rod seated in the tubular portion of said girder bar and having one end thereof anchored to said girder bar, and means for adjustably connecting the other end of said metallic rod to said girder bar.

9. In a game board, a bed, a metallic girder bar underlying said bed and extending transversely thereof, said girder bar being interlocked with the bed to permit lateral expansion thereof and being provided along its lower edge with a tubular portion extending the full length thereof, a metallic rod seated in the tubular portion of the girder bar and having one end thereof rigidly connected to said girder bar, and means for adjustably connecting the other end of said metallic bar to said girder bar.

10. In a game board, a bed, a metallic girder bar underlying said bed and extending transversely thereof, said girder bar being provided with a tubular portion extending substantially the full length thereof, a nut rotatably supported in the tubular portion of the girder bar adjacent one end thereof and held against longitudinal movement in either direction, a metallic rod seated in the tubular portion of the girder bar, one end of said rod being rigidly secured to the girder bar and the other end of said rod being threaded and engaging said nut.

11. In a game board, a bed, a metallic girder bar underlying said bed and extending transversely thereof, said girder bar being formed with a depending Web terminating at its lower edge in a tubular portion extending the full length of the girder bar and said tubular portion being provided adjacent one end of the girder bar with a slot therethrough, a nut positioned in said slot, a metallic rod positioned in the tubular portion of said girder bar and extending substantially the full length thereof, one end of said rod being threaded to engage said nut and the other end of said rod being rigidly connected to said girder bar.

12. In a game board, a frame, a girder bar spanning said frame, a bed supported on said girder bar, and means extending longitudinally of the girder bar for flexing the same to true the bed.

13. In a game board, a frame, a girder bar spanning said frame and having its ends secured thereto, a bed supported on said girder bar and interlocked therewith, and means extending longitudinally of the girder bar for flexing the same to true the bed.

14:. In a game board, a frame, a girder bar spanning said frame and having its ends secured thereto, a bed supported on said girder bar and loosely interlocked therewith to permit lateral expansion of the bed, and means positioned within the girder bar and extending longitudinally'thereof for flexing the same to true the bed.

15. In a game board, a frame, a girder bar spanning said frame, brackets rigidly removably connecting the ends of said girder bar to the side rails of the frame, a bed supported on said girder bar and connected thereto, and means for flexing the girder bar to true the bed.

16. In a game board, the combination with a bed and side rail, of a T-shaped girder bar, and a supporting bracket for detachably engaging the end of said girder bar, said bracket being provided with portions adapted to lie on opposite sides of the web of the girder bar when the bracket is coupled thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. BURROWES.

Witnesses:

ERNEST E. GAWELL, VnRsoN W. GoooH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

